What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

The Incorrigible Sophia by Karla Hocker -- Regency Romance

Sophy Bancroft and Lord Northrup are back for another adventure. Sophy's guardian has not given permission for her to marry her beloved Lucian causing the happy couple to have to wait until Sophy comes of age in two months. The date of the wedding is up for debate. Sophy wishes to marry on an odd-numbered day and Lucian on an even day. They both agree that they will be married as soon as possible after Sophy's birthday. They can't wait! Yet Lucian is ever called away on business for the Foreign Office and when a messenger for the Admirality turns up dead, the Payne brothers are busier than ever. The messenger, Lieutenant Peter Marston is accused of being a spy for the French. Sophy refuses to believe the kind young man would have done such a thing and she is determined to find the true traitor. When someone close to her is accused of murder, Sophy is more insistent than ever on finding the traitor. Lucian does not want Sophy to investigate. He would prefer to wrap her up and keep her safe. Sophy feels a bit stifled by his concern and wonders whether marriage is a good idea after all. Meanwhile, her new friend Lady Jane Hawthorne, a demure young lady who was once a gap-toothed, pig-tailed hoyden, is a match for Sophy's stubbornness. She's a loyal friend to the Paynes when they need one. Sophy isn't so sure about her other new friend, the French woman Lady Veronique. Can she get Veronique to tell her the truth and solve the mystery before it's too late? The mystery is this book is more serious than in the first book yet the reader is witness to the murder and therefore can figure out "whodunnit" right away. Thus the rest of the book drags on until near the end when more clues are revealed that lead Sophy to the true villain. For those wishing for more romance, there's more of Sophy and Lucian's relationship. They're alone briefly, occasionally, and kiss when they can. There's nothing approaching the level of romance in Regency Historicals though. I identified with Sophy's fierce independent nature and her extreme stubbornness and her cleverness. I am not as brave as Sophy and I do not think I'd go around chasing murderers. I thought she was a bit crazy at times. Lucian behaves more like a typical man of his time in this book and the relationship threatens to derail if they can't come to a compromise. I didn't like that part of the book because it wasn't happily ever after, but I appreciated the realism. I liked seeing some of the secondary characters from the previous book return and getting to know Lady Jane but there wasn't enough Miss Addie or Skeet to provide comic relief. Some of the characters seem to act differently than how they were described in the first book and other characters disappear all together. This story is not as well-written and the mystery not as tight as in the first book but it is still a good read. If you wanted more of Sophy, you will enjoy this book.

Quadrille by Margaret Mayhew -- Regency Romance

Lord Nicholas Strickland is a notorious rake and confirmed bachelor. He has no reason to marry for his Aunt Augusta will leave her estate to him after her death along with her fortune. Augusta Fairfax is tired of her nephew's behavior and demands that he marry someone suitable or lose the estate. Nicholas doesn't want to lose the only happy home he's ever known but neither does he want to marry. Aunt Augusta has in mind a bride for her nephew, Charlotte Craven, the daughter of an old friend.  Aunt Augusta believes Charlotte will be the making of Nicholas, but Nicholas thinks Charlotte will be a young, biddable bride, content to leave him to his usual behavior. He's confident his usual charms will quickly win the lady over. Nicholas sets out to woo Charlotte with shocking results. Not only is the lady not charmed by him, she positively seems to detest him. This has never happened to Lord Nicholas before but the game intrigues him and he sets out to make Charlotte love him. Charlotte knows Lord Nicholas could never love her. She's too tall, too outspoken and too content with country life to make a good wife. She's wary but perhaps there's some redeeming qualities to him after all. Meanwhile she has her hands full with her friend Amelia's romantic entanglements which include avoiding so-called proper suitors and secretly meeting Captain Young, Lord Nicholas' penniless friend. This novel has all the hallmarks of being a Pride and Prejudice type story yet it's not. Without giving too much away, I shall say that I found the story rather bittersweet. It's unconventional where I wanted convention. I really liked and identified with Charlotte. I think I should be like her were I a Regency lady. Amelia is a bit young and silly to be appealing as a heroine, but she's a nice sidekick and good foil for Charlotte. Lord Nicholas is a typical rake. His past is explored a little bit which I think could have been expanded on and really added to his character. As with the ladies, his best friend is a foil too. Aunt Augusta is a bit cruel and I could not like her very much. There are some amusing secondary characters, especially Marmeduke, Charlotte's large mutt. Mostly though the characters are typical stock characters that usually populate the light romances by Clare Darcy, Daisy Vivian, Marian Chesney and others. I would recommend this book to those who like those authors and those who might be looking for a slightly different take on the usual rake meets spirited heroine story.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

The Dark Inquiry (Lady Julia Grey) by Deanna Raybourn -- Historical Mystery

Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane are adjusting to married life in Town. It is still difficult for these strong willed individuals to come together. To add to the tension, Brisbane has hired Julia's brother Plum to help out on small cases. Julia is learning all she can so that Brisbane will allow her to investigate with him as well. She also has a new hobby suited to her curious nature. Then Julia discovers that her eldest brother Lord Bellmont (Monty) consulted with Brisbane and Brisbane kept the meeting a secret. Julia is worried that Brisbane is in trouble, so while Plum is off investigating the mysterious disappearance of Lord Mortlake's emeralds, Julia dresses in gentleman's clothing and trails Brisbane to the Spirit Club. Brisbane is nowhere to be seen but Julia attends Madame Seraphine's seance anyway. She's intrigued but intellectually knows the lady is a fake. Julia finally finds Brisbane and the pair witness the tragic, untimely death of Madame Seraphine. Brisbane reveals the reason for Bellmont's visit and the intrigue is tied to Madame Seraphine. Julia and Brisbane have to find something important before the family name and the British government are ruined forever. Julia heads off in her reckless fashion while Brisbane grudgingly admires her for discovering information he did not know. The investigation will reveal an espionage plot and show Julia that she isn't prepared for the frightening reality of private inquiry. Most of this book is relationship-driven which I like best about the series. I really enjoyed the first half of the book. There were many light-heated moments that made me laugh out loud. It also finally seemed that Julia and Brisbane talked about their issues and came to an understanding. That really pleased me. Halfway through the mystery picks up and we're back in familiar territory with Julia not having learned anything at all. I was ready to kill Julia myself towards the end for being reckless. By the end of the book Brisbane reveals his true nature and some secrets he's been keeping. He is very much like Heathcliff and Julia admits she was always rather fond of Heathcliff. The mystery is very slow and the big reveal is very random and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. I was wrong about the murderer but I did know that a certain person was the key to the story. I think Brisbane, as an experienced inquiry agent would have though of that and known everything already. The mystery's conclusion was heart-stopping and very somber which I did not like. I was not so thrilled with the dark tone of the plot took made me less enthused about this novel than I was at the beginning. Silent on the Moor remains my favorite.

Regency Charade by Margaret Mayhew -- Regency Romance

Katherine Spenser's family has lived at Kielder Castle for 300 years and she's determined that Spensers will live there for 300 more, despite the fact that the old castle is crumbling down around her ears. When a handsome, rakish stranger, Mr. Drew, arrives he brings shocking news. Katherine's recently deceased brother Harry gambled away Kielder and now Mr. Drew is the new owner! Mr. Drew is handsome and charming and has everyone on his side, even Kate's younger brother and her best friend Letty. Katherine is determined to keep Kielder in the family even if it means resorting to dirty tricks.. Her persistent sometimes suitor Vernon disapproves of Kate's methods but the stubborn young woman is a force to be reckoned with. Only Mr. Drew seems to be a match for Kate's wits. This is a comedy of manners in the tradition of Georgette Heyer. The plot moves along at a decent pace, it's a little plodding towards the middle but the humor makes up for it. I really liked Kate and could identify with her loyalty. Her behavior is rather childish but I can't say that if I were her, I wouldn't do the same thing. I felt bad for her because she was a woman in a man's world and was able to use her brain to get what she wanted instead of having hysterics. At first I didn't care for the hero, especially not in the first chapter, but the longer he stayed in Northumberland, the more I liked him. He's a typical Regency sporting hero and a bit underdeveloped but in a book this length he's just fine. The relationship between the main characters develops nicely and ends in a VERY Georgette Heyer manner. The last page could have been written by Miss Heyer. I love the meeting of minds relationships that Miss Heyer was known for so I was happy to come across this novel that I hadn't yet read. It's definitely one of the better copycats and well worth the read. If you can find it, it may even be one for the keeper shelf. 

Song of My Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer -- Inspirational Historical Romance

When Sadie Wagner receives news from her cousin Sid that his new hometown of Goldtree, Indiana has need of a clerk in a female-owned store and there's also an opera house in need of a singer, it seems like an answer to her prayer. Her beloved Papa is bedridden with an injury and the family needs the money. Sadie is eager to give back to her Papa who has given her so much and use her Fod-given talent for singing to make people happy. She arrives in Goldtree eager and excited to begin a new life and happy to see her old pal Sid. Sid is excited to have Sadie come to Goldtree. He dreams of a future together beyond mere friendship but doesn't know how to express himself easily. Thad McKane has recently been hired as the town sheriff to catch bootleggers. He knows first hand the evils of alcohol, for his father was a drunkard. Thad knows Jesus and knows that as soon as his job in Goldtree is done, he's off to become a preacher to atone for his father's sins. When he meets Sadie, he's instantly smitten with the beautiful, good-hearted girl who is also a friend of Jesus. Sadie enjoys working for the eccentric Baxter twins. At first she loves singing in the underground opera house, eager for the day when Mr. Baxter (brother of the twins) can build a regular opera house. Asa Baxter knows a good thing when he sees it and this young songbird is exactly where he wants her : front and center to distract anyone from anything else he might be up to. When he tells Sadie to learn some new songs for a special male-only night, she feels uncomfortable with the new repertoire. She also doesn't feel right wearing the bawdy dress Mr. Baxter picked out for her, but her family needs the money. If she quits, she'll have to leave Goldtree and leave Thad whom she has grown to love. Soon she finds herself involved in something far greater than she understands and it may jeopardize everything she's every worked for. This sappy, sentimental novel moves very slowly towards a predictable conclusion. The author lets the reader in on the villain's secret right away so there's no suspense until the end when Sadie becomes involved. I guessed the villain even before it was revealed so it made the plot extra tedious. I also guessed at Sid's feelings before they were revealed and as with the villain's plot, the author reveals Sid's feelings early on in the novel. Thad and Sadie's romance develops nicely and sweetly but I found them a bit too sickly sweet. I didn't really like either of them. They're self-righteous and think they know what's best for everyone. I did feel bad for Sadie being in a tough spot. She had a difficult decision and she was too naive to know how to deal with it. The author doesn't say that Kansas was a dry state until after the characters spout their overly moral feelings towards liquor and gambling which completely turned me off, though I am not interested in either of those things. I understand the reasons behind the Nineteenth Century Temperance movement and late in the novel I discovered that the villain is catering to men with addictive personalities so then I understood Sadie's feelings better. I think this book is best for Christians who enjoy sappy Inspirational romances. It is not good enough for someone who merely prefers clean romances. This is the second book by this publisher I have read and likely the last.